Assignment 6: Lydia

I visited Perimeter Mall on a Friday afternoon at about 5pm. The attendance was sparse, probably because many people were either en route home from work or beginning their weekend plans. Since it was a clear weekend, the mall was probably not as crowded as if it had been a rainy one. Perimeter Mall, a regional mall by Crawford’s definition has four anchor department stores and another 174 shops. Macy’s and Dillard’s are in the two largest stores at opposite ends of the mall. Nordstrom and Bloomingdales occupy the other two anchor spots at the top of the mall closer to one another but further from the other two department stores. Perimeter has limited entrances directly into the mall itself but larger and easier to find entrances in the anchor stores. The entrances from the parking deck even funnel the shopper into Macy’s and Nordstrom, which is one of the traditional organizational tricks employed by malls according to Crawford.

The escalators in the mall, seen in the second picture are at central locations where multiple halls converge and the center of department stores so that often a customer will have to walk through a department store in order to get to a different level. There is plentiful seating throughout the mall, along railings and in walkways that traverse different sides of the mall. There are also seating areas around the entrances to the department stores. The eating area is in the center hall of the mall with extra seating at either ends.

The clientele of the mall appears to be mixed, with a lot of middle aged females, and teenagers hanging out on the couches, but only a few older people were at the mall. Maps of the mall are near the escalators, and not necessarily easy to find. The major advertisements in the mall were banners hanging from the ceiling advertising a new Disney store coming to the mall, as seen in picture two, obviously appealing the targeted shoppers which are mothers.

Crawford discusses the mall’s “psychographics” which target the customer’s aspirations and needs as well as her income. Perimeter is targeting the wealthier female with stores like Michael Kors, BCBGMAXAZARIA, and Betsy Johnson. Perimeter Mall’s halls are dimly lit by cozy lamps and the occasional skylight. The dim light contrasts the brightness of the storefronts and their signage, as seen in the third picture. It gives the shopper a cozy and intimate feel of being in a relaxed setting that even includes plants, contrasted to the cold sterility of a grocery store or office. As you will barely see in the first picture there are even stations set up where shoppers can receive massages. This setting targets the idealized Perimeter Mall shopper who comes to escape from her busy work week, shop at a leisurely pace, get a massage, sip a latte, and lounge on the couches and overstuffed chairs provided in the mall.